In The Time Of The Riders
by Waylar
Summary: 300 years after Galbatorix was defeated and the riders are going strong. But things are never quite peaceful. Follow the next generation of riders as they learn and train with their dragons. And what new enemies have emerged?
1. In Sickness

Tori

Coughing woke Tori for the third time that night. She looked out the window, the sun was rising. She would get no more sleep that night. The coughing would worsen when Sana woke up; she coughed less in her sleep.

Tori dressed quickly, pulling her raven hair into a bun so it would be out of the way. She hurried to light a fire to heat the broth. Sana coughed again, she would wake soon. Tori poured a ladle full of broth into a bowl. It filled less than half of the bowl, but her mother could stomach no more than that.

When tori entered the room, Sana was still asleep. She sat on the stool next to her mother's bed and waited. Less than five minutes passed before Sana was awake. She gave Tori a small, forced smile.

"Good morning mum."

"Good morning darling. Put that bowl down, I want-"A coughing fit took over her body, "I want to talk to you."

Tori did as she was told, and moved the stool closer as to hear her mother better. Each day her voice grew quieter and hoarser. The sickness had not just affected her voice. Sana had physically changed too. Her black hair, the same hair that Tori had, lost it's shine and life. Her green eyes, which Kendil* had gotten, lost their shine. She had always been thin, but now she was skin on bones. She could hardly move. Just talking took a lot of effort from her.

"You and I both know, and don't deny it, that I am dying." Tori opened her mouth to protest, but Sana didn't let her. "Even if your father returns with medicine, I fear it would be too late. And, if your father is to return to me alive, he needs to get back today, _now._" Coughing overtook her body again and Tori knew what she said was true. Sana would not last any longer. "There is something you must know about; our family's greatest treasure. My great-great-great-great grandmother's grandmother found a treasure. Back in the time before Galbatorix gained control, so it's before the birth of Eragon, she found a treasure. A gem, unlike-"She coughed," A gem unlike any she'd ever seen. And how beautiful it was!" Her excitement lead to even more coughs. "She passed it down to her daughter, and she to hers. I have it now, but soon you will. I felt you needed to know about something that is so important to our ancestors.

"But, my dear, that it not what is important now. Get your sister, bring her in here." As Tori left the room, she could hear her mother cough again.

When Tori entered Kendil's room, she found her already awake.

"Mother is getting worse." Kendil said. She was only ten years old, but when she looked Tori in the eye, she seemed much older.

Tori did not bother trying to lie. "Yeah, she is. She wants to talk to us."

Sana smiled at her two children when they entered.

"Look at my girls. Look how much they've grown. These past two weeks have changed us all so much. I remember the little girls who used to run and play. Now my eighteen year old daughter is talking care of her dying mother. My ten year old daughter takes care of the house. This can't-" Coughing," This can't be easy for you, my girls. But it is over now.

"I am dying. I am going to die. It will be today. I need to tell you I love you. Both of you. I am so proud of who you've become. Tell your father I love him too. I have to go now, but I will always be with you. Look around. Look at my garden, look at the color of the walls. Look at Tori's hair, look at Kendil's eyes. I am here. Look in your hearts. I am there. I will always be there." She began coughing again, this time, blood was brought to her lips.

A minute of silence passed when only the sounds of three women breathing could be heard. Another minute, and the number was down to two.

* * *

**Well, that was a sad beginning to the story. I promise, next chapter will be less sad andwill have dragons. This takes place about 300 years after Inheritance. I don't own the Inheritance Cycle.**

***Kendil - Kendall, it's a real name.**


	2. The Egg

"_I am dying. I am going to die. It will be today. I need to tell you I love you. Both of you. I am so proud of who you've become. Tell your father I love him too. I have to go now, but I will always be with you. Look around. Look at my garden, look at the color of the walls. Look at Tori's hair, look at Kendil's eyes. I am here. Look in your hearts. I am there. I will always be there." She began coughing again, this time, blood was brought to her lips._

_ A minute of silence passed when only the sounds of three women breathing could be heard. Another minute, and the number was down to two._

* * *

Two days since her mother's passing and Tori found herself peeling off panels of the wall. Her mother had failed to mention _where_ this family treasure was. But, thinking back, in the two weeks since Sana became sick she had made a lot of references to things being 'behind the walls'.

"_Love can always be found past the walls, if you look hard enough."_

_ "You can always find what you're looking for if you look beyond the walls of you mind."_

_ "You can't find your necklace? Maybe you should check behind the walls!"_

At the time, Tori had thought she was joking (with the lost necklace one) or hadn't noticed the wall references at all. But now… had she been trying to give clues to Tori about the placement of the family treasure?

To be honest, Tori couldn't care less about the gem. Gems were just pretty rocks, what made that valuable? But this stone had been important to her mother, so she planned on taking care of it to the best or her abilities.

Which is the reason Tori was covered in dust and breaking her family's house.

She had a pretty good idea where she thought the gem might be. There were only two places that made sense; the living room behind the sofa and her parent's room behind the bedframe. The first one because it had unusual structure on the outside. The wall was pushed out about six inches more than the wall anywhere else in the house. The second because it was close to where Sana often was.

So now, she sat covered in dust, pulling the last panel of wood off the wall in her living room.

But she was not prepared for what she saw.

The gem was about a foot long, and six inches in height and width. But it's size was not what amazed Tori. But it's size was not what amazed Tori. The rock was completely smooth, she couldn't see and dents or mistakes anywhere. There was no gathered dust on it, like there was everywhere else in the small alcove. It was as if the jewel repelled dirt. But the color is what really stood out. It was most likely the deepest purple Tori had ever seen. So dark it was almost black, it captivated all of Tori's attention. It was the most beautiful stone she had ever seen.

But, she realized, she could not call it a stone. It was a dragon egg.

Tori had seen dragon eggs before. Every year there was the egg parade. Everyone between the ages of five and twenty-one was allowed to touch the eggs that had been brought. The point of the ceremony was that, hopefully, one would hatch for you. Tori had participated in the ceremony when she was young. She remembered when she was five years of age the three eggs that where brought to her city. One was brown, one pink and the other green. She stopped participating by the time was ten, because obviously those three dragons didn't want her.

When she turned twelve the green egg was replaced by a black one. It was confirmed by an egg-bearer that the green one had indeed hatched. That year she could not help but to participate, there was a new egg! But no, the black egg didn't want her either.

Over the next few years she decided the ceremony was vain. Who was to believe they were so special that a dragon would want them? Nobody had the right to assume that. So she didn't touch the eggs anymore. And the brown, pink and black eggs stayed.

Hesitantly, Tori reached out to touch the purple egg. No, she had not thought it would hatch for her. But it just looked so smooth and beautiful, she had to touch it. She held it in her hands. A horrible thought struck her.

_'How long has it been in there?!' _she thought, _'Before Kendil was born? Before I? Ever since this house was bought?' _The poor baby! Could it sense the dark? Could it tell how alone it was? Cradling the egg to her chest, she realized she must contact the riders. No matter if this egg was considered a _'family treasure_', a _'precious gem'._ It was a living thing! Maybe the riders could find this dragon a rider of it's own.

She carried the egg over to the diningtable, and set the egg upon the table. She studied it as she thought. _'How does one even contact the riders?'_ she thought. _'Will I have to deliver the egg to the elves?'_

Her thoughts were interrupted when a small crack appeared upon the surface of the egg.

* * *

Tori stared at the baby dragon that had just emerged from it's shell. The coloring was the same deep purple of the egg. Think of a shade of dark purple, darken it. You may now have a shade close to the coloring of the baby dragon.

It looked at her with intelligent eyes. It sniffed around, seeming curious of everything around it. But it's main focus of attention was on Tori. She reached out to it with a shaking hand. The moment her skin touched it's scales, pain shot through her body.


	3. Egg Parade

**Heyup! So you know, Tori won't be in this chapter, we're dealing with a half-elf named Tala in Ellesmera So dont be confused when there is no mention of Tori.**

**Tala**

This was it. The day of the parade. Each year, egg bearers marched the dragon eggs around the elf city, followed by a dragon rider. Hopefully, one, or more, of the eggs would hatch. If an egg hatched, there would be a new rider. A rider was someone who worked together with a dragon to keep peace between the people/elves/dwarfs/urgals.

Tala didn't think that one would hatch for her. They didn't before. In fact, she wasn't even going to try. Sure, being a rider would be cool. Of course she _wanted_ a dragon. But it seemed silly to push up against other people just to touch an egg that wouldn't hatch. Why assume that _you_ are better than the others? That _you_ are so special that _you_ will be the one a dragon hatched for. Tala thought that the people who thought they were better than the rest deserved to be riders least of all.

But she still wanted to _see_ the eggs.

She stood with the adult elves. Most of them were hundreds of years old, they had already tried to get an egg to hatch. Of course, each time a new egg was introduced they would try again, just to see. But Tala had tried all these eggs. They would have the brown, pink and white ones, unless one hatched and she didn't know.

Whispering started around her. That was usually a sign that the eggs were near. True to her suspicions, she could soon see the egg bearers, the rider, and the dragon. The dragon was yellow and massive. It's scales were so bright they almost hurt to look at. It's rider sat upon it. The rider was female, an urgal Tala had never seen. The view of the eggs was blocked by the front bearer.

She was surprised when she could see the eggs.

Where there used to be the white egg, it had been replaced by a black one. Tala was entranced by the black egg. It seemed like there was no end to it's depths. The pink one was all too perky for Tala, she thought it was ugly. The brown seemed too dull. The black one was perfect.

She heard snickering, and saw a string snap up, right in front of the back bearer's foot. He stumbled forward, and the basket holding the eggs tipped backward. The black egg, the perfect egg, tumbled out.

Tala did the only thing that seemed right, she jumped.

She hit the ground, hard. But the egg was safe, in her arms.

She stood up, being, admittedly, a little overly careful with the egg. Tala was lowering it into the basket, to return in to it's proper place, when something shocking happened.

The egg squeaked.

She froze. The great yellow dragon froze. The crowd froze.

The rider slid down from her dragon. "Bow. Bow down to the new rider." She commanded. The crowd did as instructed.

Tala hardly noticed. She was too busy looking at the tiny head poking out of it's egg.

**Hi! Did you guys like this chapter? Sorry it's a little short, but I bet the break for Tori was nice. I promise the next chapter will be longer, and trust me, I know because it's done.**

**I dont own the Inheritance Cycle**


	4. Leaving

Tori

Kendil had entered the room shortly after Tori had touched the baby dragon. She saw the infant curled up on her sister's chest, and Tori feinted on the ground, with a pained expression on her face. Even as Kendil knelt next to Tori, she began to stir. As soon as she was sure Tori was okay, Kendil began to question Tori.

_"A dragon?!"_

_ "Where? How?"_

But perhaps the most important question she asked was _"What now?"_

Tori and Kendil sat at their dining table. They were discussing what they were going to do now that the dragon, which was curled up on Tori's lap, had hatched. The girls had decided that Tori had to go to Ellesmera, the elf city. It's what the other riders had done, or so Tori thought. Now they had three problems.

Problem number one was Kendil. The girls didn't know if the riders would allow Tori to go to Ellesmera because she was not a rider herself. If the riders would let Kendil come, they would leave immediately. If they didn't, Tori had no intentions to leave Kendil by herself. She would wait until her father returned and leave Kendil with him.

Which brought up problem number two; their father. His wife, their mother, had just passed away. Would it be cruel for Tori, and possible Kendil, to leave him alone? Even if Kendil did stay, that would leave him to work his job and to keep the house running, which Tori and her mother usually did. Now, along with running a trading company, he would have to keep the house clean and make sure there was always food. Would it be right for Tori to leave him?

And problem three; traveling. If Tori did end up going to Ellesmera, how would she get there? Was she supposed to ride horseback across the country followed by a small dragon? Would she survive that?

"I think we should just go for it. I heard that a rider was coming tomorrow to prepare for the egg parade. It's in a week. Let's ask them. If I can't go with you, I'll stay here until father returns. It shouldn't be too long now, I'll survive. If I can go, then let's go! We'll leave father a letter, explaining what we did and inviting him to join us. I'm sure the rider will give us a ride, or at least travel with us, to Ellesmera." Kendil said, voicing her opinion. This choice made the most sense to Tori, although she still didn't like the idea of leaving Kendil alone.

"I guess that seems our only choice… but… I'm still not happy with it. But I and my friend here," Tori gestured to the sleeping dragon on her lap, "need to be trained. So I'll do what needs to be done."

Tori sat in their backyard with the dragon. In front of her was a plank of wood with her mother's name carved into it. It was the makeshift gravestone that the girls had created. Under it, her Sana was buried.

She was telling the dragon about her mother. She found it understood if she used pictures and feelings through her bond along with the words. Talking to the dragon made Tori feel better. Along with letting her feelings out, the dragon was also pushing happy feelings _in. _In a way, she felt that was like cheating. Most people have to feel with their feelings on their own, she had someone to take away bad feelings using its good ones. Other people had to try to help with words, but her dragon could _push_ comfort in. It almost felt like cheating.

But, cheating or not, it helped.

Tori was awake at the first light of sun. The dragon, however, was not. He lay curled up on mattress, where he had been pressed up against her chest all night.

_'It's such a warm creature.'_ She thought. With it touching her all night, she had not been cold once.

She dressed quickly, and put a leather strap in her hair to hold it back. She then began to cook breakfast, knowing Kendil would wake soon. Quicker than she had thought, the dragon was by her side. Maybe it's sense of smell alerted it to food. Or maybe their bond told it that she had left. All she knew that the dragon was hungry. She pulled some uncooked strips of meat off the plate next to the stove and tossed it to the dragon. Soon enough, Kendil joined the two. The girls ate quickly and in silence.

When their meal was finished, Tori gathered all the money she could find (her father had taken most of it with him) and Tori, Kendil and the dragon went off to town. They could tell the rider had already arrived and where he/she was, even though they could not see him/her. There was a huge crowd circled around something, and what would they be crowded around besides a rider?

Tori had the dragon climb onto her shoulder so it wouldn't get lost. Then, grasping one of Kendil's hands, she began to shove her was though the crowd. He had to push her way through most of it, but some people saw she had a dragon and moved out of her way.

Tori wasn't sure what she had expected of the rider. Considering the gathered crowd around it, she kind of expected him(her?) to be arrogant and attention seeking. From that assumption, she moved on the think they were probably showing off. She was at least expecting them to be _there._

They weren't. But their dragon was.

It was massive. It's head was bigger than Tori's dragon's whole body. The dragon's body was a brilliant, shining orange. It was a perfect contrast to Tori's Dragon's dark purple scales. The big dragon zeroed in on the group immediately. It might have been something about the scent of another dragon that made the group easy to find.

_'Come close.'_ A female voice sounded in Tori's head, making her jump. She assumed it was the dragon.

She did as she was told, not wanting to upset the great dragon. Kendil followed close behind.

_'Where did you get the hatchling?' _The dragon (Tori thought it was a girl from it's voice) demanded. Tori started to explain but the dragon seemed to have no patience for stories. _'Never mind. Don't explain .I'll pull the memory from your mind, it'll go faster that way.'_

Tori felt something searching through her mind, like someone was flipping the pages in a book, looking for a certain one. The memory of the dragon hatching was pulled to the front of her mind. She saw a replay of herself pulling the wall panels off and finding the egg. She saw it hatch again, and re-felt the pain of bonding with it. The memory stopped there, it seemed the large she-dragon needed no further information from her at the moment.

_'I see.'_

Tori became aware of a disturbance amongst the crowd. Someone was pushing their way through it, the way the group of three had. Tori waited to see who it was. When she saw him, she was momentarily shocked.

He was tall, he had to be over 6 ft. His hair was the color of soil, a dark brown, beautiful in a natural way. His eyes were the same, and Tori felt like she could drown in their depths. He was tan, but his ears were pointed like an elf's. He was thin, but at the same time he was muscular. It seemed like he spent a lot of time outside, and he probably did, he was a rider after all. He seemed around Tori's age. This rider was possibly the most handsome man she had ever seen. She took all of this in within the span of two seconds, because he started to talk almost as soon as he arrived.

"You found a new rider?" He asked it like a question of which he did not know the answer, but when he spoke he looked right at Tori and her dragon.

_'It was more like the rider found me.'_ The she-dragon answered. The memory the dragon had gotten from Tori played again in their minds, this time, the rider was included.

The rider looked at his dragon and she at him for a long time. Tori and Kendil both made the same guess, they were communicating through their bond.

"Hello. I'm Chudel* and this is Parthenia*." The rider gestured to himself first and then to his dragon.

"Um… hi. I'm Tori, that's Kendil, and this is my dragon. It doesn't have a name yet." She wondered for the first time if the dragon _should_ have a name yet.

"That's alright for it not to have a name yet, it's natural. In about three weeks it should be old enough to pick a name to it's liking." Chudel said. "We need to take you to Ellesmera, the elf city. There you two will be taken care of until you're old enough to fly to Vellespella*, the dragon island. There, you and your dragon will train to become riders." Tori had figured out all of that already. Was he going to tell her anything that everyone _didn't_ know, or was he just going to keep spouting things learned from rumors? "Do you have parents or someone we could talk to?"

"My father is out of town."

"Your mother?"

"Gone." Tori answered stiffly. Her dragon noticed the change in her mood and started trying to push it's happiness into her again. It did help.

Chudel frowned. "Okay then. Do you know when your father will return?"

"No, I don't."

Chudel thought a moment, or maybe he talked to his dragon. "Then you three will have to come with us without speaking to him."

Three! Kendil could come!

"Can we gather some things first?" Tori intended on writing her father a letter before leaving.

"Of course," Chudel said, "Just don't pack too much. Some clothes and whatever may be important will do. I still have some business to attend to. Meet us back here in an hour."

By then, most of the crowd had dispersed, leaving seven people still watching them. When Tori, Kendil and the dragon welt to leave, the seven people did too. The arrived at their house quickly, it was only a street away.

Tori sent Kendil to pack clothes for both girls and whatever else was important in a bag. While she did that, Tori began to write the letter to her father, with the dragon on her lap.

_Dear Father,_

_ Mother passed away. I tried as hard as I could to help her, but neither Kendil nor I could do a thing to stop it. She was at peace when it happened. She said she loved you._

_ Also, due to recent and strange events, I have become a dragon rider. My dragon is great. It's the most beautiful thing I have ever laid eyes on. It's scales seem to be the deepest purple known to man. I am not yet sure if it is a boy or a girl, and it has no name yet. I have gone off with Kendil, the rider Chudel and his dragon Parthenia to the elf city Ellesmera. You are welcome to join us, but we won't be there for long. In little over a month we are headed to Vellespella, home of the dragon riders, to begin our training. I doubt you would be able to join us then._

_ I will watch over Kendil, weather you choose to join us or not._

_ I love you. –Tori_

Tori finished her letter just as Kendil came out with a bag that was packed full.

"There is a change of clothes for both of us, as well as some money. I also grabbed these." Kendil held her hand out. Inside of it were two woven necklaces. Both had been made by their mother and given to the girls. Tori took hers, made with yarn with three shades of blue, and put it around her neck.

"Thank you."

The dragon, her dragon, climbed onto her shoulder. Kendil strapped the pack on. They stood side to side looking back at their home. This was the place they grew up. This was where they were taught to walk and to talk and to read and write. This is where they learned to love. And now, they were leaving it. The girls took what might be their last look at their childhood home. Without a word, they turned away from it, and went to join Chudel and Parthenia.

**So, how was this chapter? For me it was **_**long.**_** It took forever to write. **

***Chudel (Choo-dell)**

***Parthenia (Par-theen-E-ah)**

***Vellespella (Veil-e-spell-ah)**

**I dont own IC**


	5. Ellesmera

_We left off with Tori and Kendil heading to Ellesmera to train purple dragon. On the same day as the purple dragon's hatching, the black dragon hatched for Tala._

_Over the next four weeks, the girls became friends. They loved to tease each other. Although elves were generally tall, Tala was short. Tori liked to point that out as often as possible. Tala found it funny to say that Tori may be the clumsiest rider in history; she said it every time Tori did something clumsy- which was often. _

_They also found that they had much in common. They had the same sense of humor. Both girls got distracted often but were __**very**__ hard working and progressed quickly when they put their minds to it. They were both __**fiercely**__ loyal to those they care about, and found that they were becoming loyal to each other as well. They also had the __**exact**__ same shade of ice blue eyes._

_Among their similarities, there were some differences too, but those seemed to be pulling the two closer in the same way their similarities were. Tala had the brains. She absorbed knowledge more quickly than Tori did. She thought things through before acting. Tori showed bravery on a scale most didn't; but she tended to rush into things without thinking. She was the one to try new things without thought or care. The girls balanced each other out perfectly._

_The elves were training Tala and Tori as much as they could before sending them off to Vellespella. Each morning, after eating, they had private sword lessons. After lunch, they would fight each other in a short practice-duel. Tala was also very gross. She would say weird things to distract Tori when they were dueling. Tala's small size allowed for speed while Tori's bigger size allowed for more strength. The duels were often ended in a tie. After dueling each other, they would have short sessions on blocking their minds and going on the offensive. Defending was easier for Tala and attacking was easier for Tori. After their mind training, they were allowed to spend the rest of the day with their dragons._

_The elf city was good for Kendil too. The elves began teaching her swordplay (on a smaller scale than what they were doing with the riders). They helped to speed along her reading and writing, which were still basic. Kendil even made friends with some of the elf children._

_The dragons flourished. _

_The purple one(Tori's) had turned out to be male. When choosing a name he turned down at least 25 names chosen by Tori. He settled on the last name Tori had thought of; Jareth. The name meant Curiosity and Courage. He tripled in size, by the time the month was out the top of his head reached Tori's chin. He was growing bulk and muscle; it was obvious he was meant for strength. Each day he grew more intelligent. He could now say 17 words, which was normal progress for a month old dragon._

_The black dragon(Tala's) had been a female. She had turned down only two names before deciding on Dasapi. Dasapi meant One Who Does Not Give Up, which had so far proved to be true. She learned quickly; once she set her mind on a task, she would not give up until it had been accomplished. She could now say nearly 30 words, which was good for a dragon of a month old. She grew in size too. Dasapi was barley an inch shorter than Jareth, but did not have the same bulk as him. Her body was lean and agile. She was built for speed and agility. In her flying, she proved that to be true. She could out-distance Jareth easily; but if the two were practicing their fighting, his muscle usually won the match._

_The dragons got along as well as their riders did._

_The two dragons were often instructed by the yellow dragon that had been at the egg parade , as well as Parthenia; while Tori and Tala often saw their riders. The great yellow beast (her name was Sakeubg, meaning light) showed them how to fly and make quick maneuvers. Both dragons had begun to fly when they were three weeks of age. Parthenia taught them the basics for fighting, which they practiced with each other._

_In a fortnight, the riders and their dragons, as well as Kendil, would fly to Vellespella. They would be accompanied by Chudel and Parthenia, who were supposed to return to Vellespella. Sakeubg and her rider Hahflog (Urgalish for one of strength) would catch up with the egg parade; which had proceeded without them._

_In Vellespella, the new riders would learn more swordplay, but would also begin learning magic. Before Galbatorix, riders didn't learn magic for years. Eragon had changed that because of how much magic had helped him when fighting Galbatorix. Now riders learned magic as soon as they arrived at the dragon island Vellespella._

**Hi. Yes I know, that was all in **_**italics**_**. It's because this chapter is just letting you know what happened in the last month without actually being part of the story. Do you understand what I'm trying to say? It's just telling the reader what's going on without me having to write all that out in story form.**

**Well anyway, the next chapter will take place a year from now in the story. Jareth and Dasapi will have grown.**** Tala and Tori will have grown in skill. Not much will take place in that year besides training, so I'm not going to type all that out. All you need to know is that a year has gone by and the girls and their dragons have been learning and training. And yes, the riders have continues Kendil's training as well. **

_**HI im Adri, or as you might know me(probably not xD) Hyper Alchemy. Recently changed it from I-AM-A-VAMPIRE. I'm going to ramble for awhile because Skylar isn't looking and I can. Me and her are best friends and I like to troll her. She keeps looking back and forth from the tv and the computer, but I don't think she's reading this. LALALALA I'M BEING A RANDOM WEIRDO. I'm spending the night at her house tonight and a few minutes ago we were singing David Bowie songs and Phantom of the Opera songs and dancing terribley to them. It was quite fun. Her little sister and her friend pitched in. Now we're having a war and pretending we're each from a different Nation. Skylar is Fire Nation, I'm Water Tribe, Kendal is Earth Kingdom, and Kendal's friend is Air Nomads. Okay I have to go now to join the fight! I loves you people and hope you like my character(Tala)! BYE BYE!**_

**I am so sorry for that. She stole my computer.**

**I'm sorry for the long Author's Note this time, they won't always be this long.**

**I don't own the IC**


	6. Hatching and Home

_One year since the events of the previous chapters:_

_Jareth and Dasapi are a year and one month old, nearly a year and two months. Tori is now 19 and Tala is almost 20. (Tala is 8 months older than Tori) They've all been living in Vellespella for nearly a year. They've trained in magic and the dragons have grown and learned. _

_They have also made new relationships with riders on the island. The number of riders is nearing 200, so there are lots of people to be friends with. (Or not) _

Tori

Tori loaded the three dragon eggs into pockets of Jareth's saddle. This year, she was the one chosen to lead the egg parade. It was a different rider each year; it showed the non-riders many different dragons, which they loved.

Tori remembered how much she had enjoyed seeing a new rider each year. Now, the thought of hoping to catch a glimpse of a dragon seemed silly. She saw at least a hundred dragons each day on Vellespella.

The brown and pink eggs were making a re-appearance in the parade. They had been in it for nearly 25 years; if they didn't hatch this time, Eragon was planning on pulling them out. He'd put them back in in ten years and see if they'd choose anyone then. The egg that was replacing Dasapi's was a blue-green color. Eragon had said this one was special above all others, and Queen Arya, who was always at the egg parade in Ellesmera, had seemed surprised to see it. They hadn't told her why it was so special, but Tori suspected that Saphira had laid it.

Once she was sure that the eggs were secure, she mounted Jareth. They would arrive at Carvahall- which had been rebuilt with the help of Roran after the war with Galbatorix- the next day, where the parade would continue.

'_Ready?'_ Jareth asked in her mind.

'_Ready.'_ Tori confirmed.

Flying was amazing. Being in the air, connected to Jareth through their minds, was Tori's favorite thing. She would fly forever if she and Jareth wouldn't tire.

They landed outside Carvahall early in the morning, where they were met by the two men who would serve as the egg bearers. With their help, they quickly set up the carrier for the eggs. She then arranged them in the basket. When she was done, Tori mounted Jareth. They'd walk through the middle of Carvahall and the people could touch the eggs at will.

The parade was painfully slow; it always was. The people from the village all touched the eggs; and Tori saw some of them come up twice. They hoped the eggs will have changed their minds, or have just been deciding since the last time they touched them. Not even an egg hatched for Roran's descendants. Tori had thought that Saphira's egg would.

But no eggs hatched. So it was time to leave Carvahall.

Tori, Jareth and the eggs traveled from town to town, with no hatching. They went through Therinsford, Daret (her home town), Gil'ead, Teirm, Bullridge, Kuasta, Dras-Leona, and IIirea-the capitol, which had once been known as Uru'baen- without hatching or any interesting thing at all.

That changed at Belatona.

A girl walked up, no more than 16 years of age, and touched the eggs. Like usual, nothing happened. Then the pink one began to tremble. It hatched for the girl.

She then declared, "I knew it would hatch for me. Pink is a pretty color. I am very pretty. _We match_. That's why I waited until I was 16, I wanted to be of proper age." The statement had been vain, and the girl, Canngia, proved to be so. Before the girl even spoke, Tori thought, "_Tala is going to hate that bitch."_

Canngia seemed to think the world revolved around her. She had grown up rich and spoiled. She was, admittedly pretty, but it went to her head. As the dragon grew, it grew vain too. Many dragons were slightly vain, even the great Saphira was, but this one took it too far. It (she) was named Rindi, meaning Beauty and Greatness.

'_That's why Rindi hatched for Canngia,'_ Tori thought smugly, _'They match.'_

Neither Tori nor Jareth liked Canngia and Rindi, but did their duties and trained the two in Ellesmera. When the month and a half was up, they flew with them to Vellespella. Once there, Canngia was deposited to the great hall and Tori and Jareth left as soon as possible.

They set off in search of Tala and Dasapi.

Vellespella was the most beautiful place in the world in Tori's opinion.

Each dragon and rider had their own house, if they chose to live on Vellespella. They were made of marble or granite, depending on the rider's choice. Tori had _no_ idea where Eragon found that much of it. Tala was sure there was magic involved. The trees had grown to be at least fifty feet tall each, although most far passed 100 feet. Most elf riders had made their homes there, instead of the stone houses. Grass and plants were abundant, nature was everywhere. A mountain, Menthiv Dur - Son Mountain in Dwarvish- after Farthen Dur, was tall and topped with snow. Many Dwarves had dug a city, preferring the reminder to home, as the elves preferred the trees.

Tori took all of this in as she went in the direction of Tala's house. She had missed Vellespella in the three months she had been gone.

Tori and Jareth arrived at Tala's tree house quickly. She prefered the trees like many others of her race. Although, Tala was only half-elf, she had grown up in Ellesmera with her full-elf mother. She had never met her human father. Apparently he had been an egg bearer, and he and her mother fell in love. He had to leave before she was born. It was necessary for him to continue traveling for his duties.

Jareth flew them up and they let themselves in. Tala and Dasapi were both home; the two girls embraced with love, as did the dragons-except it was a head hug instead. Tori and Tala had become so close they thought themselves as sisters. Jareth and Dasapi had also grown close, but in a different way. The girls thought there would soon be an egg laid.

"YOU LEFT ME FOR A LONG TIME! NOW GET OVER HEAR AND TELL ME YOUR STORIES ABOUT YOUR TRAVELS!" Tala shouted, pretending to be angry with Tori. Tori smiled, knowing that Tala was only joking. Well, about being angry, not the telling her stories part. Tala loved stories.

Tori and Jareth took turns telling of the egg parade. They told them how the pink egg had finally hatched, even if they both wish it hadn't now. She told Tala of the brat it hatched for.

They stayed up unreasonably late, talking and laughing, before eventually collapsing of exhaustion. (A/N this is happening right now)

At the same time, a rider was being sent by Eragon to go check on Vroengard, the old home of the dragon riders.


	7. A Shadow

**When I updated last, the final line of that chapter was "**_**At the same time, a rider was being sent by Eragon to go check on Vroengard, the old home of the dragon riders."**_** Keep that in mind for that last part. Also, Tori had just gotten back from her duties as an egg protector, and the pink egg hatched.**

On the top of the mountain, in the middle of Vroengard, was a rider. His name was Mammon. Beside him was his dragon. Malphas, he was called. The name meant '_Of the Shadows'_. Mammon thought it fitting, seeing as Malphas was black as night. The rider and dragon observed the island silently. They had a view that covered nearly the whole of Vroengard, spare the bit that was behind their backs. It was perfect.

As soon as Eragon mentioned that he needed someone to check on Vroengard, Mammon offered himself. Who better than a trusted council member? 259 years at Eragon's right hand side had earned him trust. He was respected. Not many had more power than he. The only ranked higher than him was Arya and Eragon himself. If one of the two was busy, or the matter was not of the utmost importance, people would come to him for help.

And he hated it.

Not only was he not second best, he was _third_ best! No, that was not what he wanted.

Mammon wanted power. He had it, a lot of it, but he wanted more! He wanted wealth. He had plenty, but he wanted _more!_ He wanted servants ready for his every command. He had none. Slaves were not permitted. But, it was unfair! The lower ranking people _deserved_ to be enslaved. If they ranked low, they were too stupid to be free anyway.

Malphas saw it nearly the same was Mammon did. Others were lesser. The dragons could rule over everything, but instead they chose to sit around and keep _peace._

That was why the two were on Vroengard now. They'd wait. They could certainly survive. Nothing on this island could even _touch_ them, they were too strong. Eventually, Eragon would send out someone to search for him. Trickery would not be expected. When the rider and dragon arrived, Mammon and Malphas would take control of their minds. It would be easy, as long as it were not Eragon or Arya. From then on he would create an army. Like Galbatorix, except he would succeed.

He could not fail.

* * *

Meanwhile Tori and Jareth were out flying.

It was the best feeling in the world. They two of them would combine their minds and become one.

Jareth had better hearing and smell. She could hear the flapping of the wings of birds passing by. Tori had better sight. In Jareth's vision, most colors were more subdued. Greens and oranges were very dull, while purple shot out, as if shouting 'See me!'.

As Tala and Dasapi leveled out next to them, Tori felt as if nothing could go wrong in the world.

How wrong she would become.

**Hi! Um, short chapter, I'm sorry. A lot of this was much darker than my usual writing. Mammon is a creep. Lots of foreshadowing, you can probably guess where this is heading. But there will be differences, and I can't send my riders straight into war. There had to be challenges first! Just things to make their lives more difficult and challenge them. You'll see.**

**I still don't own Inheritance, but I should. ****No I shouldn't, the books would be shit then.**

**Anyway, it's been awhile since I've updated. I'll get back into writing again, because this was fun. ****But I've been so distracted watching Doctor Who and doing nothing on tumblr. Pretend I didn't just say that.**


	8. Darkness

_**That was why the two were on Vroengard now. They'd wait. They could certainly survive. Nothing on this island could even touch them, they were too strong. Eventually, Eragon would send out someone to search for him. Trickery would not be expected. When the rider and dragon arrived, Mammon and Malphas would take control of their minds. It would be easy, as long as it were not Eragon or Arya. From then on he would create an army. Like Galbatorix, except he would succeed. **_

_**He could not fail.**_

Nearly a month. Mammon had to wait a _month_ before any sign of other riders was to be found.

At first, Mammon had wondered what had taken Eragon so long. Had he really not noticed how long Mammon had been gone? Did he not care? Mammon got his answer soon after the riders had landed.

Eragon had sent three. Two of them were young, their dragons no more than a year old. Neither Mammon nor Malphas knew their names. The other was more experienced, Mammon knew him well enough. Fanot had been a rider for 213 years with his green dragon Callia – what an awful color green is, in Mammon's opinion. He realized that Eragon had sent two young, weak riders on a _training mission_ with Fanot as their mentor. Eragon had used the loss of Mammon as a _training mission!_

Mammon hated Eragon.

Mammon sat in wait. He and Malphas were in the middle of the woods, just waiting. Hopefully Fanot and the young riders had split up. Hopefully it would be a young rider to find him first. Even if it was Fanot who would find him, or all three at once, Mammon was sure he'd still win. It would just be easier for him if things went the way he wished.

A young rider did find him first. She was alone. Things were certainly looking good for Mammon.

He didn't recognize her. Mammon had stopped making an effort to know all of the riders after the number of them passed 50. He just didn't care.

The girl was redhead and short. No excess of muscle, she didn't look too bright. She was no threat. Her dragon was red – not uncommon, boring really, in Mammon's opinion. Almost 270 years ago, Mammon would have thought the beast to be big. Now, it looked like an insect compared to Malphas. It was not a threat either.

The girl reacted with surprise at finding Mammon.

"Oh! Hello sir!" she rubbed the back of her neck, "I didn't expect to actually find you. You've been gone quite a while, sir. Mammon-elda, why had you not returned? The riders have worried."

Mammon studied her. "You talk too much." He finally said. "And you're not strong. Or smart. But you'll work." Before she even had time to react, he attacked her mind with his own. Through their bond he could sense Malphas doing the same to the other dragon.

The fight – if he could call it that – was over in a matter of seconds. He had complete control of the girl – Sarabella, he had learned in her mind. He had learned everything about her and her dragon and had already figured out their true names. They were weak names, proving weak identities. _Compassion. Love. Kindness._ Those were what the names translated to. Useless attributes. But the bodies would work.

With her under his control, they went to find the others. It was easy, Sarabella made noise, after he commanded it, and they came to find them.

Mammon took control of the other young rider's mind quickly, it took under a minute. Fanot didn't even notice, Sarabella distracted him with talking. This young rider was a male, by the name of Charlis. His dragon was a blue male named Tokde. Both were weak.

He then attacked Fanot. The battle between minds lasted longer this time, but Mammon won in the end.

He then turned to Charlis. He erased his memory of meeting him. He replaced it with one of a peaceful island. He kept the part with the trio splitting up in their search. He changed the ending to one of finding not seeing Mammon, and losing his companions. It was simply that they failed to return, and he couldn't find them. That was the report Eragon would get.

Eragon would, in turn, send a large group of riders in search for the, now three, missing riders. Maybe, Eragon would even come with them himself. But Mammon and his two slaves would be gone.

Everything was going according to plan.

"An egg!" Tala exclaimed. "A baby dragon!"

Tori and Tala had just received the news that Dasapi was pregnant – would a person use that word for a dragon? – and would lay an egg soon. Jareth was the father – Kendil owed Tori five crowns due to their bet. Tori had thought the egg would be laid within this year, Kendil had thought it would take longer.

Their family was growing, although, the new egg might not hatch for a long time. They were all so happy. Life had been so kind to them.

But how long would it last?

**Hi! More dark writing, weird for me. Don't worry, the next chapter should be happier, Mammon will hardly be mentioned! It'll focus more on Tala and Tori and the new baby. I'll give you imaginary points if you can guess what color it will be!**

**But a baby! How exciting! To tell you the truth, it wasn't going to happen until later in the story, but I got an idea, I won't tell you what it is yet, so the egg came sooner than expected. But when it happens, I'll tell you that it was what I was planning.**

**Ooooh and Mammon. He's getting stronger and poor Eragon has no Idea. By the way, Eragon will be in the next chapter, if only briefly. **

**This was a long chapter. And a long author's note. **

**I still don't own Inheritance, even though I **_**really, really**_** want to.**


	9. What's Gone and What's Come

Eragon paced through the main hall. Now Sarabella and Fanot did not return from searching for Mammon. Charlis did, but he knew nothing.

He told a story of them all splitting up, and not seeing his companions again. Eragon even checked his memories. They rang true to what he was saying. His mind showed a quiet island. His memories showed only that he searched for hours for Mammon, and upon giving up, realized he couldn't find his companions either. He looked for them until sundown, and the day after. Then he left, speeding to tell Eragon what had happened.

'_We'll have to go look too.' _He thought to Saphira.

'_Yes, it seems so.'_ She replied, in an even, but thoughtful, tone. _'We'll take a group. If dragons and riders are going missing without even the slightest trace, three of them, it could be very dangerous. A group of five.'_

'_Sounds about right. We'll take experienced riders. If whatever made them disappear was able to take down Fanot, it must be powerful.'_

'_Call a meeting.' She concluded._

He did. Four of the most powerful riders volunteered. Even Murtag, who had returned from his self-inflicted exile two hundred years ago, decided to come. The group left the next day.

Nothing. Absolutely nothing. The dragons picked up their sent, of course, but the trail stopped at the ocean. Water moved too much, it could not keep a scent. Besides, you couldn't track a sent in the air either; and dragons could, obviously, fly. The group returned home empty handed. No attacks, no disappearances, nothing unusual at all.

The days with no news turned into weeks, which dragged into months. The disappearances, which had at first been the biggest gossip on Vellespella, were pushed into the back of everyone's minds. No one truly forgot, but rather wrote them off as a freak thing. Sometimes, people just went missing.

Eragon, Murtag, and Arya kept a close eye out; at least, longer than the others did, anyway. They did _not_ want another Galbatorix. But, even they, after time, began to relax. Maybe, sometimes, strange things just _happen_.

Tala and Tori were buzzing.

Through their bonds, Dasapi and Jareth gave them each the same message, _'The egg is coming.'_

Both of them had stopped whatever they had been doing and ran in the direction of the dragons, who were both in a field, behind Tori's house.

Tori, who had been in the middle of a conversation with Kendil, stopped midsentence, and turned and ran; shouting something to Kendil about "THE EGG. THE EGG IS NOW."

Tala had been reading a book; so at least, dropping what she was doing wasn't public.

Tori and Tala arrived at the clearing at nearly the same time. When they got there, they were disappointed to see that the egg had already been laid.

The egg was a beauty. It was about the size that Jareth's egg had been and had the exact coloring of Dasapi (Tori owed Tala two crowns). Both Jareth and Dasapi radiated pride and joy at their child. The riders beamed down at the baby. (They refused to acknowledge that the egg might not hatch for years and years to come; and therefore, was not technically a baby yet.)

Kendil showed up seconds later, having been unable to keep Tori's pace. She called the egg 'cute' and cooed at it for a good five minutes.

The egg was complimented frequently. _'Look at how it shines!' 'That's the deepest black!' 'Isn't it just adorable?!'_

All together, in the clearing, the five of them (six, if you count the egg) felt like a real, proper family.

**Hello!**

**This chapter was quite exciting, for me at least.**

**First of all, Eragon couldn't find anything! Although, did you really expect him to? It's all in Mammon's plan, after all.**

**Then there's Murtag. Originally, I was going to have him come back at a later point in the story. I could say that three hundred years of self-given exile was a bit much. But, if I'm being honest, I just love him and wanted him there.**

**The riders are starting to ignore the disappearances! Oh no! Don't do that guys!**

**And then there's the baby; aka the point that actually had my attention in this chapter. I'd say the egg took about four months to be developed and laid, which seems about a reasonable time to me. Tori seems to have a bit of a betting complex going on, doesn't she? XD**

**I love the egg, but I'll warn you, it's not going to hatch anytime soon. Yes, Kendil will have touched it. No, it will not hatch for her.**

I _still_ don't own the IC.


End file.
